Bengaluru: A day after CLP chief Siddaramaiah said the JD(S)-Congress coalition government would hold cabinet expansion to fill in vacant posts, K Annadani JD(S) MLA from Malavalli yesterday expressed his desire to become a minister.
He said, “If given (opportunity), I will be happy. I will abide by the decision of our party leaders. I have a wish since long to work in his (Kumaraswamy) cabinet. I want to work as the voice of Dalits and backward classes in the state.”
He further stated that if Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy asked him to take the responsibility, he would readily take up the job. He also added that discussions on how to do the cabinet expansion were being held. However, no names have yet been decided.
According to media reports, JD(S)’s coalition partner Congress is under pressure with growing number of ministerial aspirants. Following the rout in the Lok Sabha polls and dissidence within, the Congress and JD(S) leaders have been holding discussions on whether to go in for cabinet expansion by filling three vacant posts or reshuffle in a bid to save the government from possible onslaught by the BJP to topple it.
Of the total 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka, the Congress and JD(S) have shared 22 and 12 respectively according to the coalition arrangement. Currently, three posts are vacant, two from JD(S) and one from Congress.